Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
People have tried every technique to tame the mind, and worn themselves out. Even the good and wise have grown tired of trying to sing it into stillness.
But then grace arrives. When the One becomes tender toward you, everything falls into place all at once, and the way opens.
This one says no method can tame the mind by itself, but grace can.
Jogee jatan karat sabh haaray — the yogis tried every method and came up empty. Jogee are people who train body and mind with strict practices. Jatan means effort, methods. Gunee rahay gun gaa-ee — the gunee, the virtuous, grew weary of singing praises. The point is about the limit of any method, not about any one group.
Effort still matters. It just cannot finish the job alone. Think of pushing a boat along a dry riverbed. You can push hard and move it a little. When the water comes in, it floats.
That water is har bha-ay da-i-aalaa — when the One becomes kind. Mercy is the turning point once effort has reached its end. Ta-o sabh biDh ban aa-ee — then everything falls into place. Grace is a gift, not a prize paid to the tired. So this may invite a softer way of trying: less forcing, more open hands.
Have you ever struggled hard at something, then relaxed — and suddenly it worked? What changed?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI